


a little bit of help

by anattemptatwordbending



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, Depression, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Kinda, and im impulsively posting it, cuz i wanna feel like i did something today, i literally just wrote this, kiiinda, me venting about my depression with fanfiction? more likely than you think, our poor boy zuko, the gaang are the best
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:21:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25868101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anattemptatwordbending/pseuds/anattemptatwordbending
Summary: Zuko is depressed, so his family keeps him company.
Relationships: Aang & Zuko (Avatar), Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar), Toph Beifong & Zuko
Comments: 16
Kudos: 198





	a little bit of help

**Author's Note:**

> this is just my little depression vent of the day
> 
> to my sister: thanks for being my family when I get like this, ily

Zuko just can’t take care of himself today. He can’t handle his mind, he can’t handle his thoughts, he doesn’t want to _deal_ with all the effort that comes with just existing.

He can’t bring himself to get out of bed. He knows he agreed to meet Sokka for breakfast soon, and the guilt gnaws on his fragile mind, but he can’t get up. He can’t get dressed, get ready, pass the guards, pretend to be okay, he can’t.

He uses all the energy he has to turn over and put his face into his pillow. He tries not to think. There’s too much to think about and he doesn’t think he can handle any of it. He is just a broken boy. His thoughts are too much for him to handle alone.

After what feels like both five minutes and five hours, he hears a knock on the door. He curls into a ball, but musters enough strength to speak. “Who is it?” he asks.

“It’s me,” a muffled voice says through the door. “Sokka. That is.”

Zuko takes a deep breath, the guilt washing through him again. “You can come in,” he finally says.

Sokka opens the door looking concerned. Zuko makes himself sit up and form words. “I’m sorry,” he says. “I’m not feeling good.”

“Are you sick?” Sokka asks, his brow creased, and for some reason the fact that he even cares makes Zuko a little warm.

“My mind,” he elaborates. “I’m just-- it’s just hard.” He knows his explanation is terrible, but he can’t bring himself to explain to Sokka how lonely he feels, how he feels like he needs someone else to deal with his thoughts just for _five minutes_ because they _hurt_ and it’s _exhausting_ and he can’t handle it anymore.

Sokka walks to the bed and sits down on the edge of it, holding out his hand. It feels like it takes all of Zuko’s strength to take Sokka’s hand, but once he does he feels just a little bit less alone. He doesn’t want to let go.

“Is there any way I can help?” Sokka asks softly after a moment. Zuko’s first instinct is to just say _no_ , because he’s pretty sure there’s nothing that’s gonna pull him out of this. But he thinks of being left alone again, and he knows that’s the one thing he _really_ doesn’t want.

“I was just--,” he stutters a little, but Sokka is watching him like he really cares. “I was wondering-- I don’t wanna be alone,” he finally says quietly. “It’s just if you don’t have other things--” he’s beginning to work himself up, so he just closes his mouth.

“Of course,” Sokka says, and Zuko is pretty sure it sounds sincere. “Do you want me to get you water or something?”

Zuko shakes his head quickly. “No thank you.” He doesn’t want Sokka to leave him alone at all. Sokka nods, crawling around Zuko and sitting next to him on his bed. Zuko feels a burst of shame at how pathetic he must look, leading a nation and unable to even get up in the morning.

“This’ll pass, I promise,” Sokka says gently, taking his hand again. “I’ll be here for as long as you need.”

Zuko wants to argue, wants to say that Sokka shouldn’t drop his day just for him, but he’s _pathetic_ , and _selfish_ , and he so wants him to stay, so he doesn’t.

“Zuko,” Sokka says slowly. “I can literally _see_ the self-hatred in your eyes. I _want_ to stay, okay? I want to help. I love you and I care about you.” Zuko desperately wanted to believe it.

“Toph usually helps you with stuff like this, right? Do you want me to call her?” Zuko shrugs. He guesses he might like to see her, but he doesn’t want to bother another one of his friends. There’s no fixing him when he’s like this, so there’s no point wasting anyone else’s time.

“Is that a no or a yes?”

“I don’t wanna bother her,” Zuko mumbles.

Sokka sighs and calls to the guards to send Toph a message. “Zuko, I know you don’t believe me, but we’d all be happy to go out of our way even to help just a _little_ , okay? You shouldn’t have to go through this stuff by yourself.”

The two sides of Zuko struggle. _Maybe_ Sokka is telling the truth, says the part of him that holds onto hope. But maybe he hates you, whispers the dark shadows that haunt his mind night and day. Zuko presses his hands into his forehead and tries to ignore them both. 

“I love you,” Sokka says, over and over. “I’m here for you.” Zuko closes his eyes and listens. 

A few minutes later, there’s a knock on the door. “Toph?” Sokka asks, but the voice that answers isn’t hers.

“Uh, no, it’s Katara. Uh, Sokka? Are you two… busy?”

“No,” Sokka says quickly, blushing. “No, uh, come in?” he looks at Zuko and he nods to say that’s alright.

Katara walks in with Aang beside her. “What are you two doing? We were just healing at the hospital and we came by here on our way back-- Zuko, are you alright?”

Zuko glances at Sokka, hoping he’ll explain. 

“He’s uh, he’s dealing with a lot mentally right now,” Sokka says. “I was just keeping him company.”

“Hug?” Aang asks, which he always does when it gets bad. Sometimes Zuko can handle hugs, sometimes it’s too much. So Aang always asks. 

Zuko nods, and Aang springs onto the bed and settles in Zuko’s lap, hugging him tightly. Zuko is happy for the pure affection, it helps a little bit.

Katara looks concerned. “I’m gonna go get you some water,” she says, slipping out of the room. 

Aang talks about learning how to heal with waterbending, and though Zuko doesn’t speak, he’s glad he can at least try to focus on something other than his own thoughts.

When Katara comes back, Toph is with her. “I heard my big brother wasn’t feeling well,” she says. “You alright, Sparky?” Zuko isn’t sure what to say, but Toph can tell when he’s lying anyway, so he just mutters a “not really.” Her brows crease.

Katara brings a glass of water to him. “Drink that, okay?” Drinking the whole glass feels like a huge task, but Zuko nods, taking a small sip. Katara sits cross-legged on the foot of the bed next to Toph.

“Is this overwhelming?” Katara asks worriedly. “Should some of us leave?”

“No,” Zuko says quietly. “I-- I like it. Thank you guys. For even caring.” It’s true. Surrounded by his friends, (his family) his thoughts are still there, but they feel less like they can hurt him. With them, he feels safe.

“Of course we care, Sparky,” Toph says quietly. “Is there anything we can do?”

“I don’t-- it’s so bad right now,” Zuko murmurs, his voice raw, and Aang holds onto him tighter. “It’s so bad I don’t think I can make it go away. But with you guys here-- I can do it, I make it through. I just need a little bit of help sometimes.” 

“We’re here whenever you need us,” Sokka says. “I’m serious, wake me up at 3am if you need me.”

“Please don’t wake me up at 3am,” Toph says wearily, and Katara punches her arm. “I’m _joking_ , I’m joking. Spirits, Katara, that hurt.”

“I love you guys,” Zuko says, because it’s true, because they’re his family and they continue to save him. 

“We love you,” Aang says. “You’re the best! Also you do much funnier voices than Sokka when you read out loud.” 

“That’s true,” Toph says, nodding. Sokka looks genuinely offended.

“You guys haven’t given me a chance,” Katara adds. “I’m sure I would be better than both of them.”

“You should read to us now!” Aang says.

Katara looks at Zuko as if to ask if it’d be okay with him, and he nods, smiling. “I’m always gonna have the best voices though, sorry, Katara.”

~~~

Her voices were definitely better. Zuko would never forgive her.

**Author's Note:**

> if you liked it leave a comment and i will defend you when the apocalypse comes!!!


End file.
